Abstract

This collection consists of the interrelated family
papers of the Smith and Townsend families, including those of Isaac Smith, Jr.
(1749-1829), Abigail Smith Adams, William Smith (1755-1816), Thomas Carter
Smith (1796-1880), David Townsend (1753-1829), Solomon Davis Townsend
(1793-1869), and many other family members.

William Smith (1706-1783) was the pastor of the First (Congregational)
Church of Weymouth, Mass., and married Elizabeth Quincy (1721-1775). Their
children were: Mary (1741-1811) (later Mrs. Richard Cranch); Abigail
(1744-1818) (later Mrs. John Adams); William (1746-1787); and Elizabeth
(1750-1815) (later Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody).

Isaac Smith (1719-1787), was an active trader in the cod fishery and one of
the wealthiest merchant-shipowners in Boston. He married Elizabeth Storer
(1726-1786), and their children were: Isaac, Jr. (1749-1829), a Loyalist
clergyman forced to flee to England during the Revolutionary War; William
(1755-1816); Elizabeth; and Mary.

Townsend Family

Dr. David Townsend (1753-1829), a descendent of Andrew Townsend of Lynn,
Mass., was a surgeon who served in the military during the Revolutionary War.
He married Elizabeth Davis, and their son, Solomon Davis Townsend (1793-1869),
was also a surgeon. Solomon Davis Townsend married Catherine Wendell Davis.

Collection Description

The Smith-Townsend family papers and papers II consist of the interrelated
papers of the Smith and Townsend families. The collection contains the
correspondence of Isaac Smith, Jr. (1749-1829) while in exile in England during
the Revolutionary War, as well as his book of memoranda on sermons preached by
Rev. Samuel Cooper and others in Boston (1764); correspondence from Abigail
Smith Adams, wife of President John Adams, to her uncle Isaac Smith (1719-1787)
and her cousin William (1755-1816), including letters from Philadelphia on
current politics; accounts, letters, and other papers documenting the
commercial activities of William Smith (1755-1816) and his son Thomas Carter
Smith (1796-1880); letters and business papers of David Townsend (1753-1829)
and his son Solomon Davis Townsend (1793-1869); and David Townsend's cut-slip
autograph collection. Among the many correspondents are Hannah Carter Smith
(1764-1836), Hannah Smith Pickman (1794-1863), Benjamin T. Pickman (1790-1835),
John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and William Smith Shaw (1778-1826).

Also included in the collection are family recipe books (begun in 1738); an
undated commonplace-book of poetry kept by Frances Barnard Smith; an
unidentified meteorological journal (1818); and a scrapbook of genealogical
notes and charts, photographs, and other family memorabilia kept by Elizabeth
H. Smith.

Most of the items in this collection have been individually cataloged. See
below for a Chronological List of Select
Items.

Arrangement

This microfilm edition, a revision of the 1977 edition, brings together the
Smith-Townsend family papers and the Smith-Townsend family papers II on one
reel of film. Loose papers from the two collections have been interfiled into
one chronological arrangement and appear first on the microfilm. Items from the
Smith-Townsend family papers II are identified with penciled notations and in
the manuscript catalog as "Smith-Townsend II." The Elizabeth H. Smith
genealogical scrapbook, the last item on the film, is also from the
Smith-Townsend family papers II.

Chronological List of Select Items

This list includes all of the loose papers (1670-1892) in the Smith-Townsend
family papers and papers II, as well as some of the other items in the
collection. The source of each item is noted in italics after the date.

Undated-1712

Reel 1

UndatedFrom Smith-Townsend family
papers

Genealogical records of the Mackay family.

Reel 1

UndatedFrom Smith-Townsend family
papers

Memorandum of the marriage of John Hopkins and Esther Barnard Hammond.

Reel 1

UndatedFrom Smith-Townsend family
papers

Record of the children of Andrew, Thomas, Samuel, and John Davis.

Reel 1

UndatedFrom Smith-Townsend family
papers

Genealogical table of Hannah Gookin Carter Kent's family and records of
other members of the Gookin family [enclosed with letter of Hannah Smith].

Reel 1

UndatedFrom Smith-Townsend family
papers

Vital records of the families of Solomon Davis and his wife Elizabeth
Wendell.

Copy of orders from [William Mackay] (Boston) to Capt. Robert Caldwell for a
trading voyage to Grenada in the sloop Fanny and
Jenny [with Caldwell's acknowledgment, 15 Nov. 1771].

Reel 1

16 Nov. 1771From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Bill from Robert Caldwell (Boston) to the owners of the
Fanny and Jenny.

Reel 1

20 Jan. 1772From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Robert Caldwell (St. Lucia) to the owners of the
Fanny and Jenny about the ship's trading
voyage.

Reel 1

18 Mar. 1772From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Invoice of the Fanny and Jenny's cargo from
Robert Caldwell (St. Nicholas).

Reel 1

17 July 1772From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Order from William Mackay (Boston) to Peter Boyer to deliver sugar to Joseph
Breck.

Reel 1

22 Sep. 1772From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Account of the hire and sales of cargo from Robert Caldwell (St. Eustatius)
to the owners of the Fanny and Jenny.

Reel 1

23 Sep. 1772From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Order from William Mackay (Boston) to Peter Boyer to deliver sugar to Josias
Byles.

Reel 1

31 Dec. 1772From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Account of the sale of the Fanny and Jenny's
cargo.

Reel 1

7 June 1775From Smith-Townsend family papers
II

Letter from John Adams (Philadelphia) to Isaac Smith about cutting off
supplies to the Newfoundland British fishery and about military recruitment in
Philadelphia and Wilmington.

Reel 1

7 Oct. 1775From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Copy of address to Gen. Thomas Gage on his departure from Boston from
Richard Saltonstall and other Tories removed to Boston [also copy of reply from
Thomas Gage (Boston) about their support of the Crown, 6 Oct. 1775].

Reel 1

28 Oct. 1775From Smith-Townsend family papers
II

Letter from Isaac Smith, Jr. (1749-1829) (London) to his brother William
(1755-1816) about British lack of sympathy for the American colonists and his
activities in England.

Reel 1

18 Dec. 1775From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from [Isaac Smith] (1719-1787) (Salem) to his son Isaac, Jr.
(1749-1829) about conditions at Boston under the occupation and about providing
money for him at London.

Reel 1

[1776]From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Draft of letter from [Elizabeth Storer Smith] to her son Isaac Smith, Jr.
(1749-1829) about the progress of the war and family inoculations at
Boston.

Reel 1

1776-1798From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Verses by Catherine Davis.

Reel 1

5 Apr. 1776From Smith-Townsend family papers
II

Letter from Isaac Smith (1719-1787) (Salem) to his son Isaac, Jr.
(1749-1829) about the British evacuation of Boston and destruction of the
town's churches and warehouses.

1818-1826

Memoranda of Davis family events, including T. O. Davis joining the firm of
James Andrews and Co., Boston, and E. O. Davis's death at sea.

Reel 1

Mar. 1818From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Abigail Adams (Quincy) to Harriet Welsh.

Reel 1

23 May 1818From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Benjamin T. Pickman (Boston) to Thomas Carter Smith about
current trade at Boston.

Reel 1

July-Oct. 1818From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Meteorological journal, probably kept by a member of the Townsend
family.

Reel 1

10 Aug. 1818From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Hannah Smith Pickman (Boston) to her mother Hannah Carter Smith
with news of family and friends at Boston and about sending articles to
Portsmouth via Capt. Tuckerman.

Reel 1

14 Sep. [1818]From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Hannah Smith Pickman (Boston) to her mother Hannah Carter Smith
with family news.

Reel 1

18 Sep. 1818From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Benjamin T. Pickman (Boston) to [Hannah Carter Smith] about his
wife's illness and need of a companion.

Reel 1

19 Feb. 1819From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Benjamin Pickman, Jr. (Salem) to his son Benjamin about the
jailing of Thomas Carter Smith on a charge of murder.

Reel 1

5 July 1819From Smith-Townsend family
papers

Letter from Hannah Smith Pickman (Boston) to her mother Hannah Carter Smith
about the change in Benjamin T. Pickman's military status and about social
activities at Boston [with letter added from Thomas Carter Smith to his mother
Hannah Carter Smith about her personal finances].

Preferred Citation

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in
ABIGAIL,
the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers
desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should
search the catalog using these headings.

Persons:

Adams, Abigail, 1744-1818.

Adams, John, 1735-1826.

Adams, John Quincy, 1767-1848.

Cooper, Samuel, 1725-1783.

Pickman, Benjamin T., 1790-1835.

Pickman, Hannah Smith, 1794-1863.

Shaw, William Smith, 1778-1826.

Smith family.

Smith family--Genealogy.

Smith, Elizabeth Hall, d. 1911.

Smith, Frances Barnard, 1804-1885.

Smith, Hannah Carter, 1764-1836.

Smith, Isaac, 1719-1787.

Smith, Isaac, 1749-1829.

Smith, Thomas Carter, 1796-1880.

Smith, William, 1755-1816.

Townsend family.

Townsend family--Genealogy.

Townsend, David, 1753-1829.

Townsend, Solomon Davis, 1793-1869.

Subjects:

Autographs--Collections.

Commonplace-books.

Family history--1800-1849.

Merchant mariners.

Merchants--Massachusetts--Boston.

Meteorology--Observations.

Poetry.

Recipes.

Scrapbooks--1863.

Sermons--1764.

United Empire loyalists.

United States--History--Revolution,
1775-1783--Public opinion.

United States--Politics and
government--1789-1809.

Voyages and travels.

Women's commonplace-books.

Prepared by Robert V. Sparks, June 1977,
revised May 1993.

Encoded by Susan Martin,
December 2006

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